Reviews (page 3 of 8)
A pretty good psychedelic pop rock album. Definitely has some nods to mid 60s to early 70's pop. No Sympathy had Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young vibes until it turned all glitchy half way through (which was pretty unexpected.. not sure if it worked or was too odd of a contrast). Overall, an interesting listen. 3/5.
Had not heard before.
Overrasket over hvor lite jeg likte denne. Variert i sjangre, men aldri noe særlig bra. Påtatt vimsete, uten å være kul. Jevnt over irriterende. Prøver igjen om 10 år.
Synes dette var helt greit. Variert og relativt interessant hele veien.
Helt ok
Veldig positiv overraskelse. Hørte gjennom plata flere ganger og kommer garantert til å høre på den på nytt.
Sterk treer.
Hørt på bussen fra jobb. Holy shiiiit dette er ræva? Jeg ga hver låt 3/4 sjans, men måtte skippe. Klarte oppriktig ikke fullføre en eneste låt lol.
Maks kreativitet, men plata (og kanskje bandet også) virker retningsløst og er i grunn litt irriterende. God energi og et par solide låter trekker prosjektet opp på en treer.
Un album très varié mais rien qui m'a particulièrement accroché
God’s favourite band deliver their finest album
Very cool listen with nice sounds and some catchy songs. Nice introduction to the music. Singer sounds a lot like Jarvis Cocker from Pulp.
I woke up just in time to avoid choking on this hairball.
Drivel
I didn’t warm to this, but I was never a fan of them at the time. It’s all over the shop! Pick a lane! Trying to be something they ultimately weren’t means that it lands in nothingness. It astonishes me that there are two albums from this entirely forgettable band on this list.
Forgettable. Listened to it an hour ago and can't remember a thing.
Forgettable, odd, and not a must listen.
Rings
I love a bit of SFA. Certainly more than any other Britpop era band besides Pulp. This album is a lot of fun, but a bit all over the place, with some very good songs not really making a coherent whole. Which is why it doesn't quite get full marks from me.
Really consistent and enjoyable album, every song was a groove. Even if only a handful truly wowed me, the quality of production across the board was so high that I pretty much have to say this was a 5/5 listen
Different for sure, but just average. This album didn't grab me.
Nice album
Hated the SFA back in the day... Really enjoyed it this time round...
I think I was expecting some sort of annoying electronica. Luckily I was pleasantly surprised, because there was very little of that. Overall this was definitely a nice listen. I guess the track No Sympathy, which is the most electronic, is my least favourite but it starts out really strong
Not bad
Was surprised to find an album I didn't even hear about here. Well, it didn't turn out to be a hidden gem for me.
Bit weird
smash my head against the wall kind of boring
Its like a bad mix of a john lenon, pink floyd and gorrilaz album. Yet it does nothing of those musicians well and just makes mid juice.
Very interesting album. All over the place, ranging from britpop/rock to experimental break-core parts that sound like a terraria boss fight of No sympathy. It might not be everyones cuppa tea, but it is good artistic expression. One of the more interesting and enjoyable records on the 1001 list.
An active but fun pop-rock album. It felt strangely old for when it came out (expected when listening it to be from the mid 90s). But it was well executed and sounded good.
6/10
I liked this a lot more than I thought i would. Lots of different things going on here
More mid british music that made it onto this list for whatever reason? Wow, color me surprised. 3* Rings around the world gave my right ear tinnitus
Psychodelic experimental nostalgic relaxing rock, obsessed. So multicolour, so soothing. All the songs stand out and make you FEEL. My favorite ones: Receptable for the Respectable, Juxtapozed with U (very experimental unexpected twist, Presidential Suite. Will come back to this one many times
Albums like this make me want to stop doing this list
Enjoyed this way more than I expected to. A solid album.
Nothing new here!
I really liked this one. Coming from out of the blue, no idea who these guys are, it landed with me. The album was a real genre-bender, and it was interesting and fresh! There are a lot of different sounds and styles on this album. It sorta lacks cohesion at first, the tones and tempos are pretty bipolar, but none of the songs are bad and it all mostly works pretty well. The mash of rock and electronic is pretty neat. "Run! Christian, Run!" was damn near a country song. The album sounds clean as hell too and I just found it engaging. Standouts on this listen were "Sidewalk Serfer Girl" "[A] Touch Sensitive" "No Sympathy" and "Run! Christian, Run!" Rings Around the World was a pretty wild time, and I really enjoyed it. A strong 4/5 for me, and I'm interested in hearing more from this band.
Well this was a pleasant surprise. British alt-rock, yes, like so many others, but at least it had some nice variety of styles and tempos. I'd give this another spin.
Eclectic neo-psychedelic pop and space-rock built on layered synths, programmed beats, and melodic, soft vocals drifts with polished but predictable patterns. Listening feels like walking through a futuristic city where every building looks the same—bright, colorful, and technically neat, yet uninspiring. The album sounds competent and accessible, but ultimately feels unimaginative and formulaic
One thing I like about British rock bands is that they seem a lot more willing to incorporate electronic influences into their music, whereas (outside of some new wave bands) American rock seems to be allergic to the concept. I blame Disco Demolition Night. Anyways, I feel fairly mixed on this album - there are a fair few turgid songs on here but some very exciting ones as well, and I respect how weird and varied the album gets.
Whenever a band like this says that their new album is “ambitious”, you know it means that they want to justify recording wannabe epic, faux grandiose, ego feeding guff, in order to satisfy their need for attention. This is no exception. The album title supports my theory. It’s not special, it’s not even interesting. It’s just blah.
Great album, didn’t remember this :) thx!
Electric Light Orchestra meets King Gizzard, with hints of pop/Americana and Flaming Lips thrown in... good lord, this thing is all the map. That's a compliment!
It’s been a while since we’ve had a TripHop album. I wasn’t quite sure where a lot of this album was going, but I didn’t mind the ride. Songs like shooting Doris Day reminded me a lot of songs like Mr. Kyte and No Sympathy had tinges of CSNY. Then there was the blacksploitation vibe of Juxapozed with U. By the time I got to Run Christian Run! I had to remind myself I wasn’t actually high. This was a very strange album, but kind of an enjoyable one too. I just I remember it tomorrow, man. We should have recorded it! Oh, wait….
Random thoughts: * pretty solid alternative album in the early 2000s * I thought I knew Super Furry Animals, I may have just heard the name but I’ve definitely never listened to them before. * Had a little Flaming Lips in there. Wasn’t easy to pin down their sound. * Feels pretty niche for 1001 but I guess that is the point. I’d definitely listen again. Already played it twice through.
Another alright album. Nothing that really got me excited, but nothing I wanted to turn off.
Eh
Meh
Favourite tracks: Sidewalk Serfer Girl, Receptacle for the Respetcable, [A] Touch Sensitive I lovd weird albums. This is really good but I enjoyed the heavier moments more than anything. Great instrumentation either way. Vocals sound kind of like David Albarn too. 4/5
Mellow but with a good driving beat - enjoyable
i have to stop giving things i went through painfully a two or three. this is a one. it just isn’t good. it probably actually is a 1.5 but that isn’t an option so instead it’s the first one (it shouldn’t be other stuff has been just as bad). i think some of the underlying beats are quite strong. the lyrics are bad. i don’t understand them and they seem to be a joke idk. there’s just also a somewhat annoying vibe to the songs just like pulling teeth to get through this. anyways i feel bad im sure these are lovely people with lots of fans. but what business it has on a best albums of all time list i have nooo idea. this part goes without saying, but obviously i did not download anything.
Not quite sure what to make of this band but I really vibed with this album. I enjoyed the textured and diverse production.
Do you remember back in school when someone tried too hard to be cool and stuck out inna negative way because of it? This is that in a band form. Everything seems so inauthentic. If they were just true to themselves they could have been great. Instead we get a band that desperately wants to be cool and unique when instead they throw the kitchen sink sonically at every song. Just write and preform good melodies. Everything here is so forgettable.
awful.
its very random which makes it kinda cool cuz there s a bunch of random genres
14 - Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World - Rating = 2 Not familiar with this band. Opens with a nice soft piano… a little soft ooh coming in… a little sleepy. Gets boring, too long. More interesting / sort of a rocking guitar rift with the airy vocal… still doesn’t really go anywhere. Title track - more upbeat… nice enough if not excellent… annoying end. Now we’re a little more vocal/ballad-y. Receptacle for the Respectable is a fun song, a little annoying at the end. Shoot Doris Day… a little dramatic, not sure… probably not. Miniature is a 7-min song that doesn’t grab you… then with 2 minutes left is starts getting tweaky and weird… no. Just not really a sound or a vibe that I’m going to spend time with. Not offensive but not for me.
My 2nd favourite SFA album.
I was super impressed with this! Never heard of this band idky i haven’t. This is like if radiohead was cool.
No private session for Spotify. There is lot of different genres in this one album, it seemed unfocused and disjoint, sometimes annoying. F autotune.
Best Song: Juxtapozed with U. Apart from the annoying robot voice, the rest of the song is a vibe. Worst Song: [A] Touch Sensitive. Throw it in on the garbage pile of tracks where artists think that by just using sexual noises as samples it means they've done something creative and titillating. Overall: This album feels like it has no idea what it wants to be. I get that it has a semi-experimental vibe, but these experimental fluctuations within and (especially) between songs makes this song completely counter-cohesive when contrasted against the pretty ordinary indie rock that makes the rest of the album. I can't figure out whether I wish the artists had gone more experimental or more conventional, and seemingly neither could they.
No
I had heard their last two albums around the time they came out and liked them pretty well but never really returned to the band. This is definitely resonating more than those did, so perhaps I need to do a deep dive
Another fantastic discovery due to this album project♥️
Wasn't familiar with this at all. As interesting as it isn't. Some really cool stuff in fits and starts though
I’m not sure I understand why I have to listen to every Brit pop album from the 2000s
I believe this album wins for worst cover art to juxtaposed best/creative music ratio ever. Amazing psychdelic/electronic rock blends all over this thing akin granddaddy / the flaming lips. I'd maybe need repeat listens to 5 star this but this is one of my most on the fence 4-5 star ratings in a long time.
the cover makes me think that it’s some alternative dance/madchester thing. i’m wrong. 3/5
lpm se me borró, en resumen, crei q iba a ser como strokes o white stripesy me equivoqué, lo describo como rock electrónico psicodelico y se gana sus solifas 4 estrellas por ser algo que jamas escuché y no suena mal
Despite a rather unappealing band name, Super Furry Animals have some cred in that scene of 90s British alternative rock. I've already covered acts such as Supergrass and Blur on this list, so what does this one bring to the table. The answer is something inspired by 60s psych and electronica. That sounds like a great concept, but what it ends up being is a little too washed out. I saw the vision of what these songs were going for, I was aiming to give this a 3 in fact. The issue springs from the execution of these tracks. There's too much of a grandiose Oasis-type loudness war feeling here. I did get reminded of things Blur/Gorillaz would do in their discography (the self-titled was around the same time), so I thought that was as neat. But besides any good comparisons, Super Furry Animals leave me feeling confused. Too robotic for my human skull, I guess (5/10, 2/5 on this scale)
I was pleasantly surprised by this album and liked it a lot more than I thought I would. They throw a lot of different sounds against the wall, but thankfully most of it sticks. I may need to give this one another listen.
Put off listening but lowkey really enjoying......wish I'd locked in earlier not going to have many specifics to report but this is really unexpectedly working for meeee woooo wow "i feel no empathy for you" (no sympathy) @kate are you relating to this and thinking of me lowkey really high 3....actually really rocked w this lol
kinda chill kinda fun kinda boppy
fue una relación amor odio. ame la mitad de las canciones del disco y odie la otra mitad. por más absurdo que parezca, creo que, justo eso es lo que lo hace un buen disco. aparte tiene potencial de seguir creciendo en mi, definitivamente lo escucharé más de una vez
This is fun, almost folksy, etherial rock. iTunes classifies it as pop, but it feels more alternative to me. There are echos of T-Rex and even a little Elliott Smith at times, but the big, produced feel of the album sounds great. It can feel a little derivative at times, but on the whole, it sustains its bold feel. Good album
This was a surprise but the album got worse then longer I listened
Fuzzy and lovely
I appreciate the ambition but this record is a bit all over the place. Around the time it came out every band was trying to make their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or Kid A, but unfortunately not everyone had the songwriting prowess to match the trendy sonic theatrics. This band reminds me a bit of a sillier Elbow or Keane: post-Brit Pop also-rans who lost something in translation on this side of the pond. It sounds great and there are plentiful Beatles-y hooks, but there’s something about it that is inconsequential.
I don't even know where to begin with this. It's odd, but not offensively so?
Hmmm... A lot of background music vibes here, and that's the "good" part. Found myself ignoring a lot of this as I worked, forgetting I was even listening to anything. The times it got "interesting" enough to capture my attention was really only because it became insufferably annoying in one way or another. I don't think this music is for me.
Interesting. 3
Fine, pleasant even, but I don't know why it's on this list. No ear worms here.
Second half was fun! This band always seemed really lame to me, I dunno. Sorry!
The hardest thing about this list is giving a fair rating to unfamiliar albums after one shake, and some albums really need a few listens, a deeper dive. This has so much going on like I was never bored, but I reckon it'd work better when more familiar cos of the unusual structures and harmonies. Case in point, I used to dislike Juxtaposed With You - after a few accidental listens, it's now one of my faves TLDR; revisiting this one for sure 7.5 / 10 Best track/s: Juxtaposed With You, Run! Christian Run!, No Sympathy
super cool and dreamy. every time it started getting a bit the stale the album would reel me back in with some crazy synth design. the electro influences on here are super sick. this is such an interesting album, loved it
Really enjoyed that. Cool mix of rock and bleeps.
No sé lo que he escuchado. No sé si es bueno o malo, a veces parecen Pink Floid, otras Blur y a ratos suenan modernos por el exceso de autotune. En general me he aburrido, creo que ha envejecido mal.
- Synes det prøver “lidt for hårdt” at være eksperimentalt, og nogle sange fungerer det, andre giver det ikke mening for mig - “Run, Christian, Run” er god
i honestly wasn't expecting it to be so good fav song: Sidewalk Serfer Girl + end of No Sympathy
What a deliciously weird album. Not quite techno, not quite bubblegum pop. They don't know exactly what they want to be, but you'll find yourself tapping your foot and bobbing your head to it. My Rating: 4/5
A bit frustrating as there is potential for some really good music here, but its eclecticism and some song’s lack of structure works against it. In places, it sounds a bit of a mess. When they get past that, in tracks like Juxtaposed with U and Its Not the End of the World, the results are good.
It was ok. It wasn't great, but it didn't offend. I wouldn't listen to it again.
3.5
Not sure how I never heard of a band with such a funny name. Music doesn't really stand out to me but I would happily listen to it in the background.
As albums go this is about as eclectic as it gets. Real hodge podge across genres and styles. Unlikely to revisit but I admire a band that has the ability to successfully change lanes mid album
Quirky for sure. Not an album I'm likely to throw on again but it wasnt a bad listen
oasis-y (non derogatory), british pop had that sound locked down for awhile
The Welsh Teenage Fan Club!
Hmm, primorana bom na žalost poslušat youtube verzijo albuma. Ok, prvi komad ("Alternate Route to Vulcan Street") je bil kul (violine, mal psihadeličen), drugi ("Sidewalk Serfer Girl") mi ni neki všeč. Hmmm, mal mi variira med tem, da mi je čist kul, mi gre aktivno na živce, mi je dolgočasno, mi je bedno, ... Uuuu, ja, ta že tko brezvezn komad ("No Sympathy") je ful rabil še the worst sounds od early noughties elektronike. Đizs fakin krajst. "Run! Christian, Run!" mi je pa, surprisingly, ful všeč?! Grem potrpet še skozi zadnjega... Glas od pevca me iritira. In ja, dalj, ko razmišljam, bolj se mi zdi, da tud unedva komada, k sta mi bla čist kul, ne rešita tega albuma.
Modern, experimental progressive 70’s easy listening…?
Just plain boring. Nothing even remotely interesting about this.
First artist on this list so far who I had no prior knowledge about, so went in blind. A unique sound at first, but as the album goes, everything starts to sound the same and blend. Likes: Sidewalk serfer girl, juxtapozed with u
I'm confused by this album. How many different styles can one band imitate? It really does feel like they are trying to sound like a whole range of different artists in every track. I won't bother to list who they sound like - most tracks make me yawn. Perhaps this makes Super Furry Animals a good live band. The selection box of popular music.
Very weird, ’60s hippie revivalist psychedelic pop-rock with electronic and sci-fi influences. It’s an ambitious combination that shouldn’t work, and unsurprisingly, it doesn’t. The instrumentation is incohesive and disjointed, the songwriting overly complex and pompous, and the lyrics just dreadful. Reading the wiki, I was surprised to see Paul McCartney is credited on one track. For eating celery... Come on, McCartney, didn't you already do that in ’67 with Brian Wilson?
Nope, a couple of goodish songs. But I can't take the voice of someone who sings like they don't care. Couldn't listen to the whole album.
Didn’t love the singers voice. Tunes had a nice beat. Probably won’t revisit anytime soon.
First, very distracted listen, this didn’t stick out to me, except in snippets. On re-listen, I really enjoyed this! It went all over the place — the second to last song is full-on country! But I certainly was never bored. 8/10 Most Excellent
Lowkey playful.
Sehr gefälliges Album. Bisschen spacig, psychedelisch aber auch sehr melodisch. Hat bisschen was von Blurs "13", ohne an dessen Intensität heranzukommen.
Band has better songs not on this album.
Ok
These guys definitely know their ABC’s- not to mention their ELO’s and XTC’s of post- Beatles Brit-pop but don’t generate anything especially memorable. They often marry it to some expertly crafted yet jarring EDM, a bad trip mixed in with the sunny psychedelic melodies. Overall the effect for me is sensory overload and vague nausea.
What a pleasant surprise this was. Funky, but interesting melodies and combined things that were different with really soothing songs
Was waffling between a 3 and 4 for this, probably a 3.5 in reality. I admire the experimentation on some of the songs, enjoyed some of the weirder electronic moments, but maybe there wasn't quite enough of it? Some good pop songcraft and nice melodies, and the orchestration is very lush on many songs. No Sympathy is the highlight ("you deserve to die" is just heavy) but yeah this didn't quite jump out to me as a masterpiece.
Some was forgettable. Some I really loved (the first half of no sympathy), but then things are quickly ruined by droning monotony (the end of fragile happiness and the album) or by chaos into an otherwise great track.
I didn't really get into these guys back in the day. The album is interesting, but adrift of what I was listening to then, and probably proggy, if anything, now. High 2s.
again, another great exemple of music as art
Super fun listen -- glad I know about this now!
It's all over the place. If I didn't know I was listening to the album by the same band, I'd think it was a playlist of different artists and styles. Might be a bit hyperbolic, but it's hard to get my arms around the album. When it was good, it was decent, and when it was bad, it was mediocre.
Not my thing
Album was, neat. I can dig the electronicness of the songs. Juxtapozed With U was my fave, I can see why it was the most popular. 5.7/10
4 - BAD
Trying to combine several styles is usually going to create something that's very hit or miss. I think this was a little more hit, but some of the worse tracks went on too long
Some good other less
Hokey, mostly (That said, I was almost relieved to get a middling Brit poprock album – it's been a minute and I know there may be a hundred more to go...)
Bland and forgettable.
It's 3.5
I feel like it times it had the right idea but was messed up by formulaic melodies and cringe lyrics. And I can't put my finger on it but his voice reminds me of a singer that I really can't stand.
wtf
This was okay-to-boring. Several tracks were fun, several were experimental and interesting, and many were just filler sound. There doesn't feel like there's much to come back to here. This is perhaps a 2.5.
This never really landed for me. Kinda disjointed, and the consistent elements (the slow synths and the Beatles-ish stuff) are not my jam. There's some talent here, but I was glad when this was over. 2.3
I like!
Pure vibes
Jújú, ekki leiðinlegt, en er þetta sérstaklega skemmtilegt? Nei, ekki beinlínis. Fátt sem fer í taugarnar en lítið sem kallar á aðra hlustun. Hef ekkert á móti þessu, en áfram gakk.
Ok. ★★
Very vibey! It was so unpredictable I love it
This is like a more accessible Flaming Lips. I really liked it
Super fury creatures: one of those bands where you could really hear the Beatles Influence. Super ambitious recording and done pretty well though. On par with some of the other better neo-pychedelic bands like blur and flaming lips. The more experimental parts and genre hopping were musical and organic feeling. Some of parts later in the album remind me of Elvis Costello/ Burt Bacharach. Enjoyed it but not sure if any of the melodies or grooves really stuck with me.
Lot of influences and things going on. Kinda cool but not super memorable. Reminded me of flaming lips but the songwriting isnt as interesting i thought.
I kept forgetting I was listening to this until something weird happened.
I remember a colleague raving about this band at around this time; he wasn't the edgiest person, but he was very nice, and quite earnest. So I wasn't entirely surprised by the overall vibe. After an interesting start, with two contrasting tracks, it settled into being too Beatles-esque for me. Any edgier moments (there are some) were soon ironed out by some comforting major chords, descending scales and a bit of trumpet, strings or some ba ba bas. I did think it was well-crafted, though, with nice instrumentation, and for all my grumbling, I wasn't bored*. But: not as cool as they perhaps thought it was, I surmise, and Juxtapozed With U was really awful. *Edit - sorry. I actually was bored by each of the final three tracks. Why bother including them? A star lost.
Lionel Messi's career.
Eh
New to me. Unique. Pretty good. Need to hear more from them.
How these lads have 2 albums on this list is crazy. Its much better than the previous album but it feels forced, the death metal scream and the electronic drum and bass for example. Its ambitious which deserves credit but it certainly doesn't land. I don't think theres a song I'd want to listen to again. 2/5.
I was reading the reviews while listening to this one, and the main criticism I saw was a poor execution of genre blending. And sure, this album might be a hodge podge of styles, but I wouldn’t call any of it bad. I had a pretty fun time wondering where they’d go next. I actually got a lot of Beach Boys here in the hooks mixed with an early Blink 182 feel and (obviously) some Ween. I think it’s funny when people criticize an album for being outside the box in trying to do something unique.
Rings Around the World has ambition to spare and moments of genuine invention, but too much of it settles into a mid-paced indie rock comfort zone that's hard to get excited about.
A good album, I liked Sidewalk Serfer Girl and (Drawing) Rings Around The World the most.
Inventive, creative, experimental, but ultimately underwhelming for me. Musically varied, but a bit bland and flat somehow. I listened and listened and couldn’t hear Paul McCartney chewing celery either. I’m glad they made this album, but it wasn’t made for me.
Nothing worth noting on this album. 2 stars or D-.
2 Super Furry Animals albums in my first 100... I think this author was a fan! Very creative album that sounded at different times like The Beatles, Lenny Kravitz, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, and Crosby Stills & Nash. I didn't find myself singing much or with songs on my mind, but enjoyed the listen.
I quite liked this album there were a few I had to skip but also a few I listened to a few times over, added a couple
A couple songs were cool, pretty experimental album. It’s mostly a drag tho
Something about this album irritates me. Maybe it's the turn-of-millennium postmodern poly-stylism. Maybe it's the crypto-prog rock lurking beneath the sunny pseudo-psychedelia. Or maybe I just don't like indie pop. There's a small window of my life (age 15-17) I probably would have liked this album, but I think I would have soured on it by the time I went off to college.
This was very enjoyable! Right what I’m here for. High 4* might return to raise 4/5
A strange album at times but overall really enjoyable
I weirdly liked this one
Liked this more than I expected
Fun psychedelic rock. Extended album version was crazy long
Alternative Welsh band. Different sound. But, good music.
I had never heard of this group before. An enjoyable listen, but too long of an album with too many samey-sounding songs.
This was a disappointment. I used to like Super Furry Animals, but either this album was a bit of a dud or my tastes have changed. An okay album, but I won’t be rushing back to listen to it.
2 albums in a week, this one even more boring
Ughhhhhhhhh more UK slop
I need to come back and give this more time, but I think it may be a gem. 3.5
Not for me.
My god this is awful. Listening to this might have hastened my death if I hadn't turned it off at track 10.
I quite enjoyed Gruff Rhys’ album last year and it made me wonder if I had wrongly pigeonholed Super Furry Animals at the time they were at their peak. I don’t really remember which their songs were but Juxtapose with U was instantly recognisable when it came on. The album sounds varied and experimental and whilst I would like to revisit, I get the feeling I wanted to like this more than I actually did.
This was a fun little discovery, gonna try more of their stuff
A great lesson that talented musicians can throw everything they have into an album and write songs that suck.
Not my cup of tea. Too... nineties sound.
really liked the instrumentation here. felt like they took chances and it worked a lot of the time. this album had a lot of interesting ideas. highly original. wish it was purely instrumental. glad this exists.
What an absolute joy to listen to this! Experimental pop that never loses sight of the song and ends up sounding like some sort of happy Radiohead. I will definitely return to this and maybe dive deeper into their discography.
Eclectic but not in a super interesting way
Was pleased to get this as liked the single juxtaposed. Not pleased to listen to rest of it. 2001??? You’d never have guessed- tired, old British rock
Pleasantly surprised by this. The singer sounded a heck of a lot like Damon Albon, but that aside I really enjoyed the tunes here and the mix of folk, rock, and techno. I was reading that there are a few albums before this one but I'd really not heard this blend of mix and done is a really clean way.
Great find. Definitely coming back to this
jazz
I knew nothing about this band or album going in. I really liked the dreamy songs, but the rest not so much. I'd listen to some of this again.
Quite enjoyable, at least compared to the other record I had to listen to. Nice styles (including cringe “death metal”). Otherwise unremarkable.
It's.... fine?
it was music
This record is weird and bad and I like it.
It didn’t really stand out in a good or bad way. Just kind of there
Hell yeah, I like when we get weird on this list. Somehow had never really heard of this band other than knowing that Rhys Ifans used to be in a band. I really liked how many genres they tapped into, lots of different sounds and inspirations. Was very cool.
It was.. just eh. Music was ok at timrs but damn that voice was annoying
Great album. Varied. Everything between silky and rough but certainly creative. A rare 5 from me.
A band I was not familiar with. I really like this album.
Wasnt entirely sure why I hadnt listened to SFA when the britpop boom was happening but now I know i wasnt missing much.
Really cool pop album
Decent 4,5
It is hard to tell, but it almost sounds like the band wasn't held under house arrest and subjected to psychological deprogramming for a full year eating nothing but soybeans while practicing for this album. I was surprised that I couldn't remember hearing about this band, and as far as I can tell I've not heard any of these songs before. It seems like the kind of thing that I should like but it felt disjointed and I couldn't get into it.
I liked how this album tries to take you out of your comfort zone while you listen to it; no two songs are the same. That's not Damon Albarn singing, is it? God, I hate that guy...
"Rings Around the World" is the fifth studio album by Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals. The music is classified as alternative rock and electronic incorporating elements of pop, prog, rock, punk, jungle, electronica and death metal. Well, that covers it all but is also on point. The album was critically well-received and nominated for the 2001 UK Mercury Prize. The bandmembers were Gruff Rhys (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Huw Bunford (guitars, keyboards, backing vocals), Guto Pryce (bass), Cian Ciaran (keyboards, backing vocals) and Dafydd leuan (drums, backing vocals). 23 additional musicians were also used including John Cale and Paul McCartney. Commercially, the album reached #3 on the UK Albums Chart and #32 on the US Indie Chart. "Alternate Route" opens the album with a piano intro. Electronic drum bangs and strings. An echoing guitar and high-toned vocals. A song that beautifully builds about heartbreak and loss. A piercing noise starts the second single "(Drawing) Rings Around the World." A rock guitar and drums that sound like, ...ahem, Foreigner's "Hot Blooded." That's not an entirely a bad thing in my world. Poppy, harmony vocals repeating the song's title. All the rings around the world are causing pollution and radioactivity. The next song, "It's Not the End of the World?," continues in the pop world albeit slower. More Beatle-esque with the strings and, maybe, it's most least confrontational/commentary song...It's about getting old. The first single "Juxtapozed With U" antes the lush factor with more strings. Layered with guitars. This sounds very 70's with the keys. A commentary on house prices and societal hierarchies. The most interesting song on the album is "Run! Christian, Run!" Harmonica/horns. A Caribbean-sounding percussion. A Grateful Dead-sounding guitar with electronic beats towards the end. Soulful singing by Rhys. Of course, anytime you conjure up the lyrics of "taking the midnight train to Georgia" that puts you in soul realm. Obviously, a song about doomsday cult websites. The band brings us a lot of things to like on this album. There's lots of production, layering and well-thought out songs. The music is electronic, Beatles-esque pop, baroque pop, Britpop, rock, soulful and even a death metal area as previously mentioned. Lead singer Rhys said the album's theme was about Earth and pollution. Well, there's one song on that but also songs on societal issues, growing older, Bill Clinton/Boris Yeltsin, extreme sports and finding joy. Not a dull moment on this excellent album. A high recommendation.
no my cuppa
4.5/5. Another crazy album! Clearly influenced or influencers. Beatles influenced heavily initially. Octavarium by DT in there somewhere. It’s so original yet so familiar. Loved Touch Sensitive, but then No Sympathy blew me away - Bon Jovi into Battles. And then run, Christian run stole the show. Super cool album.
Couple of bangers but a bit too experimental for me.
Not hateful but not for me
Pretty good
Never heard it before. It spans many genres, which will probably annoy some people but I find appealing. Will listen again (but not on constant repeat).
What a delightfully weird little album. Songs added to the playlist: Sidewalk Serfer Girl
Ooof, I would rather have NOT listened to this. Blegh. When they started singing about tolerating people that you hate I wondered if they were talking about my feelings towards this album.
#231/1001. This was quite a fun sonic collage, musical pastiche, pop and rock tribute. Kind of like my 1001 listening history so far. Might come back and listen to it again. Might.
This was fine but I’m not sure I’d ever revisit it.
Fine but forgettable. Not seminal nor important nor "must hear before you die" in any way. Actually the more I think about it. The more lacklustre it is and I will never willingly listen to this ever again.
This was surprisingly enjoyable!
Pretty good, not amazing, but I enjoyed listening to it.
An album and a band I had never heard of. This is like if Damon Albarn was in The Flaming Lips. It’s like Ween that I could play in the car with my mom (okay maybe it’s not THAT good). So glad I could hear this though. The songs bend genres while maintaining accessible melodies. It loses a point because it’s not the most original thing out there, but it is very well executed. Favorite songs were Rings Around The World, Receptacle For The Respectable, No Sympathy, and Run! Christian, Run!
erste song tönt schomol noch indie slop aber eigentli no schön und cozy :) checks nöd ganz aaah sie sind vo wales okaay anders bild. aber sehr de indie klavier. sidewalk serfer girl isch coooool! sehr pop, sehr maximalistisch british findi suuuper. WHAT THE FUCK ISCH NO SYMPATHY. aso d songs vorher hani suuuuper nice gfunde. ha zwor über wiiti strecke spass gha aber isch e claaaaassic indie 3
hahahaha uiii das chan soxhli alles werde albumcover leider chli wack sorry s erste lied isch würkli crack für musigkritiker:inne hani s gfühl sorry hasse sidewalk serfer girl für mich nöd cool kreativ sondern eifach weird zum weird sii it's not the end of the world? findi na easy no sympathy isch na cute! au wenn de text sehr direkt isch hahaha OHA UND JZ NA EN TAKTWECHSEL FUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN fast scho breakcore omg (und ja das isch auchli weird zum weird sii aber das mal gfalltsmer halt) juxtaposition findi au easyy funny sehr verwirrends album. paar 1er-lieder am ahfang aber s het doch es paar lieder woni echt na cool und kreativ gfunde han grundsätzlich versuechets aber echt z fest, "andersch" z sii
A really nice surprise. The kind of album that you can put on any time
Reminds me of Blur in a good way but the experimentalism didn't do it many favours - liked it and would explore more
Blur meets Flaming Lips. Great new find!
514/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
I enjoyed it, Juxtaposed With U is a classic and the rest of the album was pleasant
Bubble pop fun album.
honestly wow. vibes of an early 2000's montage/ video diary of a vacation in summer, laying on the beach watching people surf and being in your 20's doing shit. okay so only for the first 4 songs hahah. okay no we're back to that vibe. this album would be great for a film. honestly love that there are different kind of genres and vibes and it's a visualy pleasing album, will listen again.
I varied throughout listening to this between 2 and 4 stars. So much so, I can't really decide if I want to attempt a second listen. I like some of the apparent influence and the style that 100% fits the 90s-00s fascination with odd groups (Ween, Flaming Lips, etc.) But SFA just doesn't live up to that with this album, IMO. 3 by default.
Wow, okay. I expected to hate this because I really didn’t like Fuzzy Logic, but I am so glad I didn’t completely write them off because this album blew me away. I could tell I was going to like it better because the flow between songs was so good, but starting with “No Sympathy” and ending with “Fragile Happiness,” it’s just song after song that packs an emotional punch. The instrumentation and vocals are top notch, and the album as a whole has a theatrical quality that works really well. This seems so fresh and different from everything else I’ve heard from them, in a good way. I was going to rate this a high 3, but the last few songs brought this up to a 4. I’ll definitely be putting those on repeat.
3.0
What a crazy mix of vibes. From “oh I like this it’s catchy” to “what the hell is this noise” within the space of 2 minutes.
This one is an odd one for sure. Has some Beatles on acid moments. Plus some Fatboy Slim or Chemical Brothers vibes. Maybe some Pink Floyd, even country? Now I'm getting Beck type vibes without being so cool sounding. Anyway, this is really eclectic, and certainly has great moments. I'm not sure I'd go back to this but I can see the appeal. 3/5
Not what I was expecting based on the album cover... not that great either
Viel zu langes Album
Very hit or miss song to song for me
I was worried when I got this, I thought the label “pop” was going to be some eurodance album. I love the psychedelic baroque pop sound, and the songwriting is really great. I’m glad I found this on the project.
Wild find, didnt think I would like it and its pretty awesome.
Dit klinkt als Blur met een soort experimenteerdrang. Zoiets typte ik bij een ander album van ze ook al geloof ik. Vorige keer gaf ik het een 4, deze keer voel ik hem iets minder. Het is alsnog geen verschrikkelijk album, maar ik denk dat deze voor mij een iets te hoog CKV gehalte heeft. Het neigt iets teveel naar theatervoorstelling. Al zijn er ook wel aangename momentjes. 'No Sympathy' is super vet, stukje Aphex Twin meets Promo op het einde. Het nummer daarna is, ondanks dat het de meeste streams heeft, verschrikkelijk. Ik geef 3 sterren. Lekker in het midden, geen kant kiezen.
The name of the band sounded familiar. But maybe I'm confusing it with the title of a song by another band. In any case, I had high expectations. Unfortunately, the album didn't live up to them. It was okay, but I don't feel compelled to listen to it again. I found the pop music a bit boring. 3/5
There are a lot of ways to describe this: 60s psych rock filtered through 90s alternative, Welsh Flaming Lips, etc. But it's hard to describe it succinctly without referencing earlier psych acts because it jumps between a lot of different sounds. Many of these sounds are exciting. The best moments are the trippy synths and complex percussion, and the backing vocals are also a treat - the third track almost sounds like the Beach Boys in places. But much of this is long psych rock tracks that don't evolve much. "Run Christian Run" is seven minutes of the same tempo. The first half of "No Sympathy" is similarly one-note, but it's saved a bit by an electronic freakout in the second half. The best track is probably "Juxtapozed With U," it uses strings and effects to create a really pleasing pop song. Some fun stuff, but also a lot of more normal stuff in between.
the music isn't really bad or anything, I just felt zero connection to it, which was strange
This is a fascinating album, There is a few redeemable moments, such as the ending to Receptacle for the Respectable where death metal vocals are used out of nowhere, and my attention was grabbed. While the majority of it I feel is pretty cookie cutter pop music which is just not for me, there are moments on this album that really grabbed my attention, such as on the song No Sympathy, that goes full on IDM towards the end.
70
Borring to death. To be forgotten after listening
Woah, way more eclectic and at times trip-hoppy than the Super Furry Animals record I got 7 albums ago (Fuzzy Logic). I actually prefer this one, despite it having some annoying and zany moments, I respect the cool turn of the millennium genre hopping feel of it, much like Beck whom I've been getting into more lately because of this list. Genuinely great band!
Not my fav album of theirs, but a good one nonetheless
Behøvede ikke så mange 5+ minutter lange numre tbh. Ellers fint nok! Lyder lidt som overgangen mellem Blur og Gorillaz
Den når godt nok omkring lidt af hvert! Fed, en del gode numre
Felt like Damon Albarns cousins band.
No Sympathy // Run! Christian, Run! // 2.5/5
I wish I had taken notes while I was listening, because the album just ended and I don't remember any of it. I didn't turn it off, so I'm guessing it wasn't particularly horrible.
I can honestly say I haven’t heard a sound quite like this, but I was pretty into it! There were a couple misses, but overall really unique and a really fun listen. Best Track: Sidewalk Serfer Girl
I hadn't heard this before. It's creative and a lot of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And g' damn if the singer doesn't sound exactly like Damon Albarn. In fact, the whole thing calls to mind Blur . . . but perhaps a better version of Blur? Anyway, good stuff.
This was good. I found myself listening and enjoying, though looking back I can't say why and nothing particularly stood out for me. There were a few points where I found myself thinking, all this harmonizing and noodling reminds me of the Beach Boys, but, you know, enjoyable. Thus, I'd call this solid middle of the pack stuff.
The guy’s got a really cool voice, and they write pretty good hooks. They remind of Supergrass a little bit. Liked the title track a lot along with some others. Might get another Star if I spent more time with it, but I gotta move on…
I liked several of these songs very much: (Drawing) Rings Around the World, Sidewalk Serfer Girl, a couple of others. Note: I'm a little confused about track names and which ones I heard since I started with the deluxe edition and then reverted to the original, and the track listings are very different. One thing I'm sure of is that Juxtapozed is atrocious, though. That and some of the other more aimless tracks pull it down to a 3 for me. But I appreciate the variety and am glad to have found this.
4/5 - This is a fun britpop album with a genuine sense of humor. It kinda feels like Fountains of Wayne + Bowie to me. Lots of different sound textures, satirical lyrics, and some excellent pop hooks. Singer has a really good voice to boot. Lyrics to Presidential Suite and Run! Christian, Run! are great. Repeat listen for me.
Listenable. Some tracks very good, others nowt special.
psychedelic journey with a nice mix of guitars. great high album
This was a new album for me. Reminded me somewhat of 90s Weezer, Blur or Sloan. The horns on Presidential Suite had a similar feel to Walk on By and I really liked the hard right turn to industrial for the last two minutes of No Sympathy.
Some of the blips and blorps definitely venture into “weird for weirdness’ sake”, but more good than bad. Definitely not generic Brit pop.
2/10
This era of music is one of new labours worst legacies
Cool album. I really liked the group. I will still listen to their other albums. As far as I understand, almost all of their long plays are hits.
There comes a point, and we arrive quite quickly to it, when all brit-pop sounds exactly the same. This is not necessarily a bad album; it's just one more.
Maan I had so much fun with this. Why did i have so much fun with this???
Just okay
Najs ju! Mys och krångel om vartannat!
Kul med nåt jag aldrig hört talas om. Ambitiöst och spretigt i nån sorts Damon albarn-anda, men enda som verkligen fastnar är sidewalk serfer girl. Inte asdåligt, absolut inte asbra. Uppskattar på nåt sätt respektlösheten kring genrer men känner ofta ”välj, för helvete”.
Trodde detta skulle suga av någon anledning, kanske bara utifrån bandnamnet och det fula omslaget. Men det var ju bra! Riktigt bra.
Aldrig hört tidigare. Stum trea. Några låtar som jag tror är riktigt tunga men hann inte lyssna tillräckligt mycket för att avgöra...
Hrrm, det här passade inte min smak. Men jag är ju lite led på mig själv som delar ut en massa ettor till höger och vänster. Och till och med antyder att medlemmar ur det skalliga brödraskapet förtjänar dom. Kanske istället borde välja glädjen framöver. Vi får se.
jag känner mig hemma här. jag älskar skiten!! jag äter upp allt och ge mig mer tack!
Som blur fast bra :P. Nämen fan vad det låter som bizzaro Albarn-ballader ibland. I've got no sympathy with you, you deserve to die till Juxtaposed with U är kul. Ett band jag ska återkomma till. Ska bara lyssna på tusen andra album först
Some very interesting music and blending of genres. The writing is weak in places and I don’t think it quite connects the lyrics to the theme of the record, but the creativity is not lacking. A very interesting listen, especially since this album was released during a period where music was beginning to become a little boring. I found myself liking it more and more as it went along. You will certainly not get bored.
overlong and uninteresting, but at least it's Welsh rather than English
Another obscure UK band, shocker. The album is ok, but absolutely nothing about it seemed particularly great to me.
Super Furry Animals is just maybe a bit out of reach for me. Yup, they have all the right vibes, electronica, sort of college radio, mellow almost new age vibes... but they do it all so... over the top. Songs will be going along and sure... then they sort of "volve" not devolve or evolve, just ... do something different that is just ... for me a tad too weird maybe. I would like to say "oh, I like this song or that," but they are too ... and J U S T not by a wide margin, weird. So i can't ... quite put them into that rare air of rave and keep them in the pretty good to OK sort of level.
Monótono, no lo supe apreciar
This seems sort of cool on the surface, but it kind of just ends up decent. It's kind of hard to pinpoint everything that goes into this sound: there's some alt-rock and electronic and psych. But it's more helpful if I were to just say it sort of sounds like if The Flaming Lips were a little less interesting. I will say, this didn't leave a very strong impression on me, but it is pleasant while it's on. There are some neat moments, but a lot of this doesn't feel like it's executed in a particularly inventive or daring way. That being said, even if Rings Around The World is not an especially interesting album, Super Furry Animals do still seem like a kind of interesting band. Read this as a low three.
useless record
Got boring very quickly.
For all the ideas on Rings Around the World, there is too little energy. Plenty of bold decisions, but they feel deliberate, rather than the unavoidable eccentricities of old. This doesn't mean I don't like it. Rhys writes strong melodies regardless of what else the band is doing. It is an enjoyable experience, more enjoyable as an album than most of the songs are as songs. The appearance of Paul McCartney chewing celery on Receptacle for the Respectable, as he was rumoured to have done on the Beach Boys' Vegetables, is a case in point: borrowed eccentricity and late style establishment valour, rather than the brash inventiveness of earlier. 3 I knew Super Furry Animals’ Rings Around the World was on this list but seeing it come up was still worth a double take. Eh? This? People loved and revered this one apparently. Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize I see. Someone says it was the best album of the year. Someone else says it was the Furries’ best album. All Mandela Effect for me. I honestly thought Rings Around the World died in prison in the early noughties. Well…at least that it was an album that needed a little defending. I liked this album well enough when it came out. I think I saw them on that tour (Mandela Hall maybe, were you there too?) and liked the show. Wasn’t there a general sense at the time though that the Super Furries, if they hadn’t quite ‘sold out’, had become much less interesting? To be fair their previous was a cheaply recorded Welsh language album - which perhaps sets the bar unreasonably high for interesting. Still the singles on Rings seemed to lack something. The title track deserved no particular disrespect simply for being a pastiche of Status Quo (although again - I remember that there was widespread disrespect) - pastiche was always an element of SFA - however, there was nothing uncanny or ‘off’ about it. That I think is the missing element. Sure ‘Northern Lites’ felt like pastiche as well, but of what exactly? It was odd while being brilliant. There was much less of this on Rings. Worse - there is less sense of a band here than before. Rings is a rather sedate album. Songs like ‘Herman ❤️’s Pauline’ or ‘Do or Die’ or ‘Ice Hockey Hair’ - all recalled here in superficial musical effects - simply had too much energy to have sat comfortably here. I can’t quite justify a straight comparison between the Furries’ Rings and the Manic’s This is My Truth… as neat an all-Welsh event as that would be. It’s tempting - TIMTTMY also felt like a band drained of energy and yearning for a moment in the sun of the charts. Like Rings the comparatively beige production of that album nevertheless produced music that was also, in parts, quite beautiful. Still - TIMTTMY did feel like a significant step away from the Manics previous sound(s). Maybe it was a step to the side and probably backwards, and quite possibly accidentally off the side of the stage, but a step it was. Rings sounds like SFA. It sounds like the group that made Guerrilla, but Guerrilla feels like the later album. Rings politeness of production and composition coming later seems to oddly recast Guerrilla’s aural eccentricities as the band not having had the time, money, and creative space to be boring. Much of this album is boring, in my opinion, especially the bits that make special effort to be interesting (Sidewalk Surfer Girl, Receptacle…, Juxtapozed). Of the straight material - ‘Run! Christian, Run!’ is far and away the best track. Beautiful stuff (if somehow a little smug and patronising on its take on extreme cultists) Perhaps I would say that it is beautiful because the track is all a bit Radiohead - it’s especially reminiscent of The Tourist. Was this the problem with the production on Rings I wonder (looking at the Manics here as well)? Nigel Godrich’s production is so conspicuously clean and tidy, and late in the 90s he presided over the artistic triumph of Ok Computer and the commercial triumph of The Man Who. Did other artists err in thinking that this way of making records was necessarily a way forward? Well in any case we must listen to Rings.. before we die. Which isn’t an unreasonable ask to be honest. Still, the only other SFA album on this list is Fuzzy Logic. Why not Mwng for its singular Welshness? Why not Radiator for being absolutely brilliant? If we are only listening to 2 SFA records there is definitely no room for Rings. If we were listening to 4 there still wouldn’t be. 2/5
The A side is rough, but the B side mostly won me back.
Surprisingly good 😊
Mix of sample/electro/indie/punk. Bit like intersection of Blur and Gorillaz. Some pop-punk in there too (Drawing Rings Around the World), which also seems to have some inspiration from Status Quo Rockin All Over the World?? Ooh... Receptacle for the Respectable goes a bit metal!! No Sympathy has proper synthy, almost jungle/dub Very accomplished album Best track - Drawing Rings Around the World, Receptacle for the Respectable, No Sympathy 4 stars
= the Beatles More interesting than I thought
Super fun music, reminds me of early Gorillaz albums. Love this shit
Had moments of ELO but a few too few. Was a decent enough album.
It’s not bad for some early 2000s neo-psychedelia and Britpop, but like with about 99% of Britpop, there’s this vein of pretentiousness that runs through the music and is hard to ignore. That said, the album also has a sense of weirdness, playfulness, and an experimental edge that’s pretty fun and keeps things interesting.
Hated the voice and the songs , just properly grated on me
This record occupies a strange space between easy listening and hard driving rock. I honestly can't pin down what genre this is supposed to be. One minute it's laid back and atmospheric, the next it's full-on rock mode. It manages to be relaxing without ever getting boring. It’s got this kaleidoscopic feel that keeps shifting. Really enjoyable stuff. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - (Drawing) Rings Around the World - It's Not the End of the World? - Receptacle for the Respectable - Juxtapozed with U
Let’s just add every blur album and every blur clone to the list sure
Not horrible. But not sure why it’s on any list
Kind of psychedelic alternative with a bit of funk mixed in. Interesting, but not my favorite.
4.7
Нуу... впечатляет конечно, но мне понравилось всего лишь пару треков, а остальные слились в нечто хаотичное. Похоже местами на радиохед (интересно кто был раньше) между 3 и 4, но хай будет 3
interesting but not quite interesting enough.
An enjoyable and often psychedelic romp of pop and prog. 4/5
Really interesting art/experimental rock. Like if the Beatles did drugs... wait... Definitely a fun album that I will revisit! 3/5
Just might be the best band of all time. Weird, whacky, wonderful and Welsh. The whole album is a dreamy trip. It’s not even their best one 5.0/5.0 Best Song: It’s Not The End Of The World
What can you say that we haven't said to each other a million times before. Its a work of art, its easily there most fun album i think. So many good tracks, by the greatest band ever at the peak of their powers. I don't need to write much for this review, i just love this album so much. Best Song: I think...... Juxtaposed with you
Enjoyed it. First half better than the second half. One of their best albums
I’ll give them credit.. it takes a special kind of talent to make music this stunningly dull.
Very little of this record was appealing.
Wasn't a bad listen.
I forgot I was listening to it at one point. But it never annoyed me, it was fine.
It's interesting enough for a visit, but quite honestly, I don't care if I ever hear another song from this record again. It's not that it's bad, it's not. It's just that this is one of those alternative rock records that indulges the artist (co-self-produced) and doesn't really do a good job on accessibility, melody or catchiness. Without those factors, it's an art-rock album that becomes one of those critics' choices and they foist on the masses to be "smart" and "relevant" by creating a trend.
Strange mix of Queen, metal, and techno